


Life and Times of a Royal Bastard

by sbdrag



Series: Dragon Ball X [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: M/M, Planet Vegeta, Tournaments, maybe this is why Toriyama stopped finishing them at the end of Z..., purely self indulgent, putting my OCs in different universes because I decided to play them in xenoverse, some of the names are puns and others are random OCs of mine filling slots, they added two more chapters, why did I add tournaments?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-07-18 17:38:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16123472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbdrag/pseuds/sbdrag
Summary: Breathing hurt. His vision swam, and his eyes were only open because they felt too dry to close. He inhaled phantom broken glass but coughed up real blood. His ears were ringing, and he pretended that was why he couldn’t hear his mother breathing. He felt cold, which he knew was wrong, because Planet Vegeta was warm.When a shadow appeared over him, Scorun finally found his eyes closing as he embraced the end.





	1. Prologue - Death of a Galactic Patrolman's Husband

**Author's Note:**

> So, like I said in the tags, this is purely self-indulgent. Taking my OCs and playing them in Xenoverse made me come up with alternate backstories for them, so I decided to write them down. Maybe you'll enjoy it too? (Will add tags as they apply.)

Age 775

* * *

 

“Don’t worry, Scorun, I’ll get you trained up to my super elite status in no time,” Jaco said, voice filtering through the comm system. 

 

Scorun sighed, pressing a few buttons to adjust his screen’s readout, “Why did I get stuck with babysitting duty…”

 

“What?” Jaco asked. 

 

“I said did your radar pick up that asteroid coming in on the left? I know those older ships can have temperamental moments,” Scorun replied.  _ And you never look at your radar to begin with _ , he thought to himself. 

 

“Of course, elite patrolmen such as ourselves don’t even need to rely on technology to detect something we can easily see with our eyes!”

 

Scorun sighed again, adjusting his ship’s course to account for the asteroid. He watched his fellow Galactic Patrolman swerve at the last minute, almost getting hit.  _ This is why no one trusts you with a new ship, Jaco. _

 

Scorun was a saiyan - a surviving member of an almost extinct race of warriors known for their viciousness and cruelty in combat. That Scorun was a Galactic Patrolman instead of a planet-selling pirate like most of race used to be was a small miracle. 

 

There was a blinking light accompanied by a quiet beeping to indicate an incoming call. Scorun checked the readout and frowned - his husband rarely called him while he was at work. Setting the autopilot, he pressed a button to answer the call. 

 

“Hey love, sorry to bother you, but I noticed some guys outside the house and I’m getting a bad feeling,” the other man’s voice scratched through, the result of a past injury. 

 

“What are they doing?” Scorun asked, already reprogramming his course. His husband had excellent instincts - if he was concerned enough to call, it meant the Patrolman needed to get home. Now. 

 

“They landed a ship outside and are walking up with some mean looks,” his husband replied, “I’m going to try and hold them off - hopefully you’ll just be arriving to make an arrest.”

 

“Be careful - I’m on my way.”

 

The connection cut off and Scorun turned his ship away, headed towards home at top speed.

 

“Hey! Where are you going? This is dereliction of duty, Scorun!” Jaco called over the comms.

 

Scorun cut that connection as well, not wanting to deal with the other Patrolman. He saw Jaco’s ship turn to follow him before it fell off the radar, but it would be a little bit of time before the older model could catch up. The saiyan could feel his heart rate rising, but tried to stay calm - his husband was also a saiyan, and more than capable of taking care of himself. Still, they had made some powerful enemies in their past, and the thought that any of them had come calling had him worried. 

 

When Scorun landed outside the debris that remained of his house, his stomach dropped. He powered up and took to the air directly from his ship, following the path of destruction on ground. His black hair turned blond, and his normally dark eyes turned blue, energy visibly pouring off of him as he flew through the air. 

 

There were three aliens attacking his husband - also in the blond haired form they had discovered some years back - and the other saiyan was obviously faring poorly. 

 

One of the aliens noticed him and laughed, “Look who made it just in time!”

 

“This is for your betrayal, Morgraine!” another said, and fired off an energy blast. 

 

Scorun’s husband reflected it, then gasped as an energy sword burst through his chest. 

 

Time seemed to slow down for the saiyan Patrolman - he watched as each new blade sprouted through Morgraine’s chest, unable to stop their infinitesimal forward motion from creating a forest of purple blades, a bed of red leaves welling up from the bottom of each. It felt like he could see each individual blond hair fade to white, red expanding from the center of his husband’s pupils to cover the blue. The blades slowly dissipated, and for one silent moment Morgraine hung still in the air.

 

Time resumed at normal speed as the dead saiyan fell, and Scorun realized the blood roaring in his ears was actually his own screaming as his vision went black.  


	2. Starting Again

Age 732

* * *

 

Breathing hurt. His vision swam, and his eyes were only open because they felt too dry to close. He inhaled phantom broken glass but coughed up real blood. His ears were ringing, and he pretended that was why he couldn’t hear his mother breathing. He felt cold, which he knew was wrong, because Planet Vegeta was warm. 

 

When a shadow appeared over him, Scorun finally found his eyes closing as he embraced the end. 

 

***

 

He woke up still in pain, but more surprised to be alive with a roof above his head. He tilted his head and it pounded, forcing him to close his eyes for a few moments before blinking them open again. It was a single, dirty room with cracks and stains on the walls. It was dark, the remains of a fire burning in the center of the floor. 

 

He didn’t know what to make of it. 

 

He should be dead. Even if someone had found him, there was no one stupid enough to take him in. At least, he didn’t  _ think _ there was anyone that stupid. He could always be wrong - but even if they weren’t, why would they bother? There was no benefit to taking in a near dead child. And whoever it was, they didn’t seem to be in the best position to be taking care of another person in the first place. 

 

Thinking too much made his head hurt worse, and he closed his eyes. 

 

***

 

When he woke up again, he wasn’t alone. He didn’t open his eyes at first - he just listened to the sound of someone moving around the room. He could smell something cooking - bone gruel. It was a scent he knew well, coming from the low class. 

 

When he felt hands around his head and shoulders, he peeked his eyes open. All he could see was someone’s chest as they lifted him up, settling him into a seated position. 

 

“Oh good, you’re awake - you can eat, then,” they said, pulling away. He was taller than Scorun though still an adolescent, with long, wavy white hair and pale white skin. When he came back with a chipped bowl of gruel, Scorun noticed he had red eyes. 

 

_ Oh, the albino, _ the younger saiyan thought. 

 

Carefully, the larger saiyan held the bowl up to his injured guest’s mouth and tipped it up. Scorun drank slowly, too weak to do much else. When he started coughing, his host took the bowl away and stored it somewhere out of sight. 

 

“You should go back to sleep,” the albino saiyan suggested, “It’ll be awhile before you’re healed - if you heal.” 

 

_ At least he’s honest, _ Scorun thought, drifting back to oblivion.

 

***

 

It was a few days before Scorun worked up the strength to talk. 

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m lonely,” the albino replied. He was tinkering with an ancient, broken device that’s purpose was unclear.

 

Scorun sighed, “So you just grabbed the first half dead kid you found?”

 

“You’re a little more than half dead,” the older saiyan replied, “And sure, why not? Not like you had somewhere else to be, is it?”

 

“You know why they tried to kill me, right?”

 

“Cause Prince Vegeta was born?”

 

Scorun huffed, “So you aren’t stupid.”

 

“Nope - just desperate,” the albino saiyan grinned crookedly, amusement flashing in his eyes.

 

The younger saiyan turned his face towards the wall, “So what happens if I live?”

 

“Leave if you want,” the albino said, “Not sure where you  _ can  _ go, but I won’t stop you.”

 

“Then what’s the point?”

 

The albino shrugged, “I like fixing things. Never tried to fix a person before, but I’ve fixed plenty of these things.”

 

Scorun looked back, “What is that?”

 

“Dunno. Old Tuffle stuff just lying around in ruins.” 

 

The younger saiyan rolled his eyes. He watched his host for a several minutes, before sighing again, “Do you have a name?”

 

“Morgraine. You?”

 

“Scorun.”

 

“If you get better, I can show you my collection,” Morgraine said, “Most of it’s useless junk, but there’s a few things that’ve keep me alive out here.”

 

The injured saiyan made a noise of acknowledgement as he drifted back to sleep.

 

***

 

Morgraine didn’t talk much, Scorun noticed. Every conversation that wasn’t about his health was started by the younger saiyan, even about topics the albino saiyan enjoyed - such as the machines he fixed. 

 

“How did you even survive this far?” Scorun asked, a few weeks later, when he was well enough to sit up and eat on his own. 

 

“Nanny-bot,” Morgraine replied, “Parents dumped me in the ruins, Nanny-bot found me. She broke down over the years, but I think I can find the parts to fix her eventually.”

 

“How’d some ancient Tuffle machine raise a saiyan?”

 

The albino saiyan shrugged, “Dunno where she found it, but she got an incubation pod hooked up out here. When I popped out I could take care of myself.”

 

Scorun shook his head. The meal today included meat - he didn’t ask where it was from. He’d noticed the last couple of meals had, and wasn’t sure if it was from hunting or stealing. He hoped it was hunting so that no one would come looking for a thief, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

 

The young saiyan sighed, letting his bowl rest in his lap.  _ Is there even a point to me getting better? It’s not like I can’t go back to the rest of the saiyans, and living out here doesn’t seem all that appealing…  _

 

Morgraine watched his patient over his own bowl. He’d known taking the kid in was a long shot, but seeing him lying there had reminded the albino saiyan too much of his own past to leave him be. He wasn’t too concerned with physical recovery anymore - but he got the feeling Scorun didn’t really want to recover, and he couldn’t blame the kid. He’d lost pretty much his entire world - something Morgraine could also relate to. 

 

The albino saiyan set down his bowl and left the room. He wasn’t very good at talking to people - machines were easier, though. In the next room, half-finished machines lied about haphazardly. In the back corner was the defunct Nanny-bot. When it had initially stopped working, Morgraine had spent weeks barely eating or sleeping trying to repair it. Then more weeks combing the ruins for replacement parts, haphazardly taking out one piece and then another. 

 

He was sure he’d lost some vital part along the way, and had given up on actually repairing the machine, but now it comforted him to try. After all, Nanny-bot was the closest thing to a family Morgraine had ever had. 

 

In the other room, Scorun set aside his half-empty bowl and went back to sleep.

 

***

 

They went weeks without speaking to each other. Scorun continued to heal physically, but mentally he was at an impasse. There was little to do in the room, and it didn’t help to change his antipathy. Morgraine was poor company, and gone most of the day. When Scorun slept through most days it wasn’t an issue, but now that he was well enough to stay awake it left him alone with his thoughts. 

 

On one of these days, something was beeping. And beeping. And beeping. And-

 

Scorun heaved a sigh as he gingerly got out of the nest of blankets that passed for a bed. He hadn’t tried walking yet, but he thought he was well enough for a short trip. His tail pushed against the ground as he walked, keeping him from falling backwards as he shuffled into the next room. 

 

The young saiyan groaned as he looked around - there was no way he was going to be able to find the beeping in all of the mess. 

 

_ I could just smash it all… _ he thought, but dismissed it. It would be pretty uncharitable on his part to do so, and while he had very little charity to give, he could spare what he had for the kid that had saved him. At least until he decided whether or not he’d wanted to be saved…

 

He started picking up and listening to each device, trying not to break them in the process. He honestly wasn’t trying very hard, but since everything was in a different state of repair, he wouldn’t be able to tell if he broke something or he found it that way. 

 

Scorun found it halfway through the room. It was vaguely egg shaped, and there was little he could discern past that. There was a little light blinking inside, and a switch nearby. The young saiyan tried pressing it, and fortunately the beeping stopped. He sighed in relief, setting it down. 

 

He looked around, and spotted the robot in the corner. He stared at it, taking it in. It looked like a faceless torso, with three pronged clamps for hands. Colorful wires were visible down the top of the arms, to be replaced with a foldable black material on the bottom. The young saiyan stepped over, to get a better look. 

 

_ This has to be the Nanny-bot, _ he thought. He looked it over, and found a button on the side of its head. He pressed it, and suddenly her face lit up with a digital readout. He didn’t recognize the words at all.  _ It must be in Tuffle… _

 

He pressed the button again to turn it off, and stepped back. He glanced at the door to the room, then back at the robot. Well, it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. 

 

***

 

When Morgraine returned from scavenging, he found his guest out of bed and staring at datapads. 

 

“What are you doing?” the albino saiyan asked. 

 

“Reading,” Scorun replied. 

 

“You read? Aren’t you little young for that?” Morgraine replied, setting aside his pack. 

 

The younger saiyan shrugged, “My mom taught me a little.”

 

The albino saiyan scratched the back of his neck, and wandered over. He snorted, “I doubt she taught you Tuffle.”

 

“I’ll figure it out.”

 

“Sure you will,” Morgraine replied, wandering back to unload his findings, “Why the sudden interest?” 

 

“Bored.”

 

The older saiyan child snorted, but let it be.  _ At least he’s doing something now… _

 

***

 

They fell into a routine over the next month or so. Morgraine would leave to go scavenging around the Tuffle ruins, and Scorun would get up to study datapads. 

 

He didn’t tell the albino saiyan the real reason he had started studying the datapads - especially since he wasn’t sure why he was doing it himself. He had no attachment to the robot, or even to his technical savior. Morgraine had helped him for purely selfish reasons, so why was he doing something that would only help the other saiyan and not himself?

 

He didn’t look too far for an answer - it gave him something to do, and that was enough for now. Morgraine even started bringing back datapads and tablets he found on his scavenging trips - the most helpful were what appeared to be illustrated children’s books. They gave the young saiyan context, though not the words he would need to understand the robot’s readout. The albino saiyan didn’t take much care with what he found, just that it had words on it. 

 

So he started scavenging as well - first short ventures around the complex Morgraine had set up in. It seemed to be the remains of a living compound - which, considering it was a Tuffle Nanny-bot that had taken Morgraine in, made a certain amount of sense. He found several more children’s books, and went to work studying them. He also found clothing, and used whatever was suitable to replace his own ragged clothes. 

 

If Morgraine noticed the difference, he didn’t mention it. He did notice clothes left out for him as well, though, and humored his recovering companion.

 

Months turned into a year, and then two. As Scorun got stronger and his reading comprehension improved, he started joining the albino saiyan on his forays further into the Tuffle ruins. At first, he would turn back when he started feeling tired, but it wasn’t long before he could keep up the entire trip. 

 

“You know,” Morgraine said one day while they were out, “If you tied up your hair, it would probably be less obvious.”

 

Scorun looked over, and ran a hair through his bangs. Those he’d gotten from his mother’s side, but the albino saiyan was right - his hair very much resembled his father’s side, which could pose a problem. While he knew most other saiyans had no reason to enter the ruins, it didn’t mean no one ever would. They couldn’t be the only outcasts in their entire society, after all. 

 

“You’re probably right,” he said, “I’ll find something when we get back.”

 

Morgraine made a noise of acknowledgement. 

 

Scorun had started to realize that, for as little as the albino saiyan spoke, he noticed a great deal. For example, he’d noticed his younger companion tended to dress in black - sometimes the dark haired boy would find random articles of black clothing left in his usual spaces back home. Morgraine also didn’t give gifts - he just left things where Scorun would find them without a word. 

 

Meanwhile, the younger saiyan was having trouble deciphering his companion. They’d been living together for long enough that he felt he should have a handle on the other boy, but he barely knew anymore than he had when they first spoke. 

 

“Do you… know who your parents were?” Scorun ventured.

 

“Nope,” Morgraine replied, examining the remains of a vehicle, “Must have been so weak they didn’t think I’d even survive a planet conquering.” 

 

“Does that upset you?”

 

The albino saiyan shrugged, “Never really thought about it. Didn’t seem important.”

 

Scorun hummed an acknowledgement. He wasn’t the strongest himself, and his mother had been planning to send him to conquer a planet soon. Then he frowned, “How do you even know about that?”

 

“I listen,” Morgraine picked the vehicle up to look underneath it, “There’s a guy I sell scraps to in town - they aren’t worth much, but they get me what I can’t find out here.”

 

“Like food?” 

 

The older saiyan pulled a component out of the vehicle before setting it down, “Pretty much.”

 

“How often do you go into town?”

 

“About once a month or so. Why? You want to come with?” Morgraine grinned, “Or do you just want to know more about me?”

 

Scorun scoffed, but felt the heat of embarrassment in his face.  _ He really is observant _ , he thought. Out loud, he said, “You look creepy when you smile.”

 

“I’ve been told that before,” the albino saiyan replied, putting the vehicle component into his pack, “I like ‘feral’ better.”

 

“You  _ are _ feral.”

 

“I know.”

 

Scorun snorted.

 

Morgraine looked up suddenly, red-eyed gaze intent. 

 

“What?” the younger saiyan asked. 

 

His albino companion shrugged, and put his pack back on, “First time I’ve seen  _ you  _ smile.”

 

Scorun flinched, and hunched his shoulders as he went back to quietly tagging along. 

 

***

 

“Been buying more food lately,” the adult saiyan said behind the counter. She smiled, “You must be about to hit your first growth spurt, huh?”

 

Morgraine shrugged, packing away his food, “Just more hungry lately.”

 

The woman laughed, “That’s how it goes. What about your friend?”

 

The albino saiyan looked over to where Scorun stood, arms crossed a few feet off. Morgraine remembered how twitchy he’d been the first few times they’d come into town - probably worried about being recognized. But after a year of monthly visits, he stood calmly - if still at the alert. 

 

“He’s the same.”

 

The woman snorted, “Well, you boys look after yourselves. You’re all each other has.”

 

Morgraine nodded. He liked this particular butcher - he’d heard she quit being a warrior due to being too soft, and it was easy to believe. The albino boy waved as he walked away, knowing he didn’t have to say anything for Scorun to follow. She was right, after all - they were the only thing each other had at this point. 

 

Scorun eyed the shops and people around them suspiciously - but then, he eyed  _ everything _ suspiciously. Morgraine couldn’t blame him, but he thought it must be exhausting to live thinking someone was going to pop out and kill you at every corner. At least the other boy relaxed at home - the older saiyan didn’t think he’d noticed letting his guard down when it was just the two of them, and he wasn’t going to bring it up. That would probably just bring his guard back up. 

 

“Hey, Scorun,” Morgraine said, once they were on their way out of town and into the ruins.

 

“What?”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“Why?”

 

The albino boy shrugged, “Gine thinks I’m going to hit my first growth spurt soon. Made me think.”

 

Scorun rolled his eyes, but considered the question, “Eight, I think.”

 

“Huh.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“Around fourteen or fifteen.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

Morgraine grinned. 

 

The younger saiyan rolled his eyes again, “Right, Nanny-bot.”

 

“Tuffles celebrated their day of birth - she designated the day she found me as mine and always made a fuss about it,” the albino boy replied, “I didn’t get it, though.”

 

Scorun was quiet, but the older saiyan could tell he was thinking. The younger boy wasn’t very good at hiding what he was thinking.

 

_ At least, not from me, _ Morgraine smiled at the thought. 

 

“What day?”

 

The albino boy held in a snort. He knew his companion was trying to sound casual, but he clearly had something in mind when he asked. There was no other reason  _ to _ ask - he wouldn’t press, though. Not this time. He was sure he’d see what the other boy had in mind soon enough.

 

“Tomorrow.”

 

***

 

Morgraine came back expecting a surprise. Scorun had stayed behind instead of joining him in scavenging today, and the albino boy suspected that it had to do with it being his birthday. He wasn’t sure what the younger boy would be able to do on such short notice, but he appreciated any effort. 

 

“Welcome home, Morgraine! Happy birthday!”

 

The albino boy dropped his pack in surprise. That voice, no way- 

 

Nanny-bot’s digital face smiled at him, floating in the middle of the room. The it changed to concern, “Aren’t you a little small for your age? Have you been eating properly?”

 

Morgraine stepped forward slowly, and walked around his old caretaker, “How did you…?”

 

“There was an error in my code - that other boy must have run my debugging program to fix it,” Nanny-bot said, “Is he a friend of yours?”

 

Slowly, the albino saiyan smiled, then laughed. It made sense now - the Tuffle books, they’d been so he could read the lights that had gone by while the Nanny-bot wasn’t working. But that was… 

 

“I’m the right size for a saiyan,” he said, “But I’ll catch up with you in a minute, I have to do something real quick.”

 

“If you say so…” Nanny-bot replied. 

 

Morgraine darted into the bedroom, and grinned when he spotted the younger saiyan reading in a corner.

 

Scorun looked up just in time to toss his book aside before the albino saiyan landed on top of him, “What are you-!?”

 

“Thank you!” Morgraine said, hugging the other boy, “You’re the best!”

 

The younger boy tried to push the older saiyan away, but sighed when he realized it was in vain, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

The albino boy pulled back with a cocky grin, “You’re such a bad liar.”

 

Scorun felt the heat on his face and pushed the other saiyan away, successfully this time. He picked up his book tablet and held it in front of his face, “Am not. That thing just started working on its own while you were gone. Nothing to do with me...”

 

“Sure it did,” Morgraine said, laughing as he picked himself up, “I’ll let you get back to your reading.”

 

The younger saiyan said nothing, keeping his face buried in the tablet. 

 

The albino boy darted back into the other room.

 

Scorun looked up at the sound of talking. It was a clear back and forth between the robot and the older saiyan. He’d never heard Morgraine talk at… well, any length before. He snorted and returned to his book… but he couldn’t quite keep the smile off his face. 


	3. Leaving Home

Age 738

* * *

 

The woman threw back her head and laughed - she was an alien with dark purple skin that seemed to have black cracks running through it, and cat-like ears. She looked back down at the two in front of her, amused, “You I could see us taking, but who’s this? Your kid brother?”

 

“Nah,” Morgraine said, scratching at his chin, “Just a friend.”

 

Scorun glared next to the albino saiyan. 

 

As expected, Morgraine had hit his first growth spurt - he was tall even amongst the full adult saiyans, and already appropriately broad. Scorun, meanwhile, was still in his extended adolescence, appearing much younger than he was to outside races. 

 

“Look, we’re a mercenary company, not a babysitting service,” the woman said, waving them away, “Go back home if-”

 

“You don’t know much about saiyans, do you, Nayn?” another alien drawled. This one looked more reptilian, with horns sticking out of his body at weird angles, “How old are you, kid?”

 

“Eleven,” Scorun replied. 

 

Nayn sputtered, “What!? No way!”

 

Morgraine half grinned. 

 

The woman shook her head, “Even so, that’s still-”

 

“Give it a rest - he’s probably stronger than you already. Besides, it’s not like anyone else is jumping at the chance to join up,” the male alien said, scanning the crowd, “They’ve got it better in the Frieza Force, anyways.” 

 

“What - but-”

 

“Fight me,” Socrun said. 

 

The feline alien blinked at him, “Huh?”

 

“If you’re so concerned, fight me,” the young saiyan said. 

 

Morgraine’s grin grew, but he remained silent. 

 

Nayn stared, then finally sighed and bent down, “I’m not going to fight you, pipsqueak. But tell you what - I’ll give you a free shot,” she tapped her cheek, “Just give me your hardest punch, and if it’s worth anything, I won’t stop you.”

 

“Our insurance doesn’t cover dental,” the other mercenary said, “Maybe you should pick something less important - like the top part of your head.”

 

“Shut up, Kageto,” his companion replied. 

 

Scorun sighed, “If that’s what you want.”

 

_ Ah, kids - always thinking they’re invincible _ , Nayn thought, smiling,  _ Maybe I’ll just take him under my wing so he doesn’t feel bad… _

 

The young saiyan stepped forward, pulled his fist back, and slammed his fist into her face with enough force to send her to the ground. 

 

Kageto started laughing. 

 

Morgraine patted his friend on the head.

 

Scorun batted the albino saiyan’s hand away with an unimpressed glare. 

 

The feline alien picked herself up and spit out blood and teeth. She stared at the ground as she caught her breath. She looked up at the saiyan boy in disbelief. 

 

The boy just crossed his arms and waited. 

 

Nayn felt the growl building in the back of her throat, and threw herself at the noy in a flash of anger. 

 

Scorun stood impassively as Morgraine stepped forward and punched her back down to the ground. 

 

Kageto got a hold of himself, wiping a tear from his eye, “Give it a rest, Nayn - this is why we’re here, after all. You shouldn’t have told the kid to hit you if you weren’t prepared for it.”

 

“Shut up!” the feline replied, growling as she got to her feet. She glared at the saiyans, then spat more blood and crossed her arms, “Fine. You’re in. Get in the fucking spaceship.”

 

Scorun rolled his eyes, taking the lead as he walked past the pair of mercenaries and up the ramp to their boxy spaceship. He paused at the top, looking back.

 

“Gonna miss it?” Morgraine asked, following behind. 

 

The younger boy snorted, and turned back, “Not a chance.”

 

The albino teenager patted the shorter saiyan’s head as he passed. 

 

“You know I hate that,” Scorun said, as they walked further into the ship. 

 

“Yup.”

 

A device on Morgraine’s wrist pinged, and as he raised it, spoke with the Nanny-bot’s voice, “You should have better manners, both of you!”

 

“Don’t lump me in with him,” Scorun replied. 

 

“Uh, excuse me…” an alien with bright orange skin appeared in front of them, “You must be the new recruits, right…?”

 

“That’s us,” the younger saiyan answered, “I’m Scorun, he’s Morgraine.”

 

The albino teen deactivated the wrist machine for now, turning his attention back to the new alien. 

 

The alien bobbed its head, looking at Scorun with concern, “I’m Angeor, let me show you to the habitation bay - you’ll stay there with our other recruits until we get back to base.”

 

The saiyans didn’t say anything more as they were brought through the ship, to a small cafeteria. There were several more aliens present, clearly warriors, though some more seasoned than others. Angeor left them after pointing out the door to the sleeping pods.

 

“See, you’re exactly what I would expect a saiyan to be,” one of the others drawled soon after, walking up to them. He was humanoid, but had purple and brown speckled feathers for hair, wings with talons at the joint for arms, and another set of talons for feet. He scratched at his chin, circling the saiyans, “But you…” he held a hand at Scorun’s height, “Are you sure you  _ measure up _ ?”

 

The younger saiyan glared up, then rolled his eyes and walked away, “I’m going to get some sleep.”

 

Morgraine snorted, and went to explore the other attached rooms. 

 

The feathered alien looked at the others, “Not much for conversation, are they?”

 

“Maybe it’s just you,” one replied, grinning. He was a black furred catman, and fiddled with a loop earring on one ear, “Besides, I started as young as than that little one.”

 

“If he’s even as young as you think he is,” a second one added. This one was reading on a tablet at one of the tables, and had fish-like scales and fins, “I heard saiyans age really slowly.”

 

“Oh, I forgot about that,” the feathered alien said, “Maybe I should apologize?”

 

“You just want to stir the pot,” the catman said, stretching, “But hey, I’ll bring the popcorn.”

 

The first alien snorted and waved it off as he walked over to the room with the sleeping pods. He peeked his head in, then strolled down the middle. He found the younger saiyan fast asleep in one of the four pods at the end. He sighed and scratched his head, then shrugged and went in search of the other saiyan. 

 

Morgraine had found the training room, and was experimenting with a fighting robot. 

 

“Level one?” the feathered alien said, leaning against a wall as he watched, “I would have expected a saiyan to jump right to level one hundred.”

 

The albino teen glanced over, but ignored the alien. 

 

“The name’s Desrae, by the way. What’s yours?”

 

“... Morgraine.”

 

The feathered man laughed, “He speaks! And here I was beginning to think you…” Desrae paused, and tilted his head, “You haven’t fought anyone before, have you?” 

 

The albino didn’t reply, focusing on the robot. 

 

The alien watched for a few minutes more, then snorted and sauntered over, “Look, if you need to learn, why don’t you spar with me instead?”

 

Morgraine glanced over, then shrugged, “Level ten.”

 

Desrae blinked, then scratched his head as he watched the robot’s capacites increase. He found a seat nearby and watched, curious at the results. 

 

***

 

Several hours later, the ship was flying through space and Angeor announced that it was time for dinner over the ship’s intercom. All the new recruits gathered in the cafeteria, and as expected, the two saiyans sat together and ignored the rest. 

 

“So, learn anything?” the catman alien asked as Desrae took a seat. 

 

“Other than saiyans being insane?” the feathered man replied with a sigh, “I walked in to see the big one using the training-bot at level one -  _ obviously _ he’d never been in a real fight before, but he just kept upping the level while ignoring my  _ generous _ offers of help.”

 

“He doesn’t look that beat up, though,” the scaled alien observed. 

 

The catman snorted, “His appetite certainly hasn’t been damaged.”

 

Desrae shook his head, “That’s the thing - he seemed to be learning just by fighting the bot. He went from level one to level thirty in an hour.”

 

The scaled alien tilted his head, “So what was he at when you left?”

 

“Sixty eight.”

 

The catman whistled, “And those things increase exponentially, right?” 

 

Desrae nodded. 

 

“Eh, bet I could still take them,” a blonde-furred wolfwoman alien said, scarfing down her food. 

 

“Well so could I,” Desrae snorted, “Any of us could -  _ we _ have actual experience.”

 

“Isn't it weird for them not to?” the catman asked. 

 

“Why would they even recruit greenhorns like that?” the scaled alien added.

 

“The little one punched Nayn really hard,” the last recruit said. They were the smallest one present - they had a lumpy, blob like body and three eyestalks that peered in different directions. 

 

“How'd you know that, Boltri?” the wolfwoman asked. 

 

The blob like alien jiggled, “I watched.” 

 

“Experience or no, they certainly are strong,” Desrae drawled. 

 

“You sound disappointed,” the catman grinned, “Were you hoping to challenge them?”

 

“Of course I was,” the other man replied, “I only joined this operation because everyone back home was getting boring, after all.” 

 

“They can certainly eat, too,” the scaled alien added. 

 

The saiyans had both grabbed a significant amount of food compared to the other aliens, and were busy working their way through it. 

 

Morgraine glanced over at the group, “They’re probably talking about us.”

 

“So?” Scorun asked. 

 

The albino saiyan snorted, “Could try making some friends.”

 

“You’re the lonely one - you make friends,” his companion said. 

 

“Don’t have to,” Morgraine poked the younger saiyan against the temple, “Got all the friends I need.”

 

Scorun swatted the larger saiyan’s hand away and continued eating. 

 

“By the way - I got to level sixty eight on the training robot. Beat it if you can.” 

 

“If a simple guy like you managed it it can’t be that hard.”

 

The albino saiyan grinned, but said no more. 

 

***

 

“Desrae was right - you saiyans are insane.”

 

Scorun jumped back to avoid a hit from the machine, “Stop!”

 

The training robot returned to standing upright, motionless. 

 

The young saiyan panted, and turned to glare at the newcomer. 

 

“Sorry,” the scaled alien said, “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

 

Scorun spat, and retrieved a towel from a nearby shelf to wipe at his sweat. 

 

The scaled alien tilted his head, “My name’s Iza. I’m guessing you waited until everyone was asleep to train on purpose?”

 

“And yet you’re here,” Scorun replied. 

 

Iza made a gurgling noise, and a few bubbles leaked out the sides of his mouth, “My race only needs three hours of sleep every forty eight hours. I’m afraid you won’t be able to escape my notice by training during the sleep cycle… although, I would point out that the training bot has its limitations.”

 

The young saiyan ignored the other recruit, getting water from a machine next to the towel shelf. 

 

The scaled alien smiled and stepped into the ring, “I’m sure you’re very strong, would you honor me with a match?”

 

Scorun glared, then rolled his eyes, “Will it get you to go away?”

 

“If you want.”

 

The young saiyan sighed, then threw away the cup he’d used and tossed the towel aside. He stood across from Iza and glared, “Fine.”

 

The scaled alien bowed his head, “Whenever you’re ready.”

 

Scorun rolled his eyes again, then charged forward. How he ended up blinking at the ceiling was a complete mystery to him. 

 

“I move completely different from the bot, right?” Iza asked, smiling down at him. 

 

The younger saiyan glared, then kicked up and tried another swing - only to land on his back again. 

 

The scaled alien tilted his head at him, “I’ve been wondering - how old are you?”

 

“None of your business,” Scorun replied, leading with a punch as he rolled to his feet. 

 

“You are a fast learner,” Iza said, deflecting punches and kicks, “But you’ll learn more if you fight more people, you know.”

 

“Shut up and fight.”

 

“I thought you wanted me to leave?” the scaled alien gurgled in amusement. 

 

“You’ll leave after I beat you,” the young saiyan replied. 

 

Iza smiled, “If you insist.”

 

***

 

Morgraine was surprised to find Scorun wasn’t sitting alone at breakfast the next morning. Iza waved at the albino saiyan with a smile, and the larger saiyan smirked as he went to get food. The younger saiyan was half asleep next to the scaled alien, with plenty of bruises to show for his efforts over the night. 

 

“You two are playing a dangerous game of catch up, you know,” Iza said as Morgraine took a seat. 

 

The albino saiyan snorted, and pushed a plate at his friend. 

 

A clear set of eyelids blinked over the scaled alien’s eyes as he watched both saiyans eat with abandon. He rested his chin in his hand, “Even worn out, you saiyans eat a lot, don’t you?”

 

Neither saiyan replied, too busy with their food. 

 

Iza gurgled, “Well, that’s fine too, I already talk to myself.”

 

Morgraine snorted, “Have fun?”

 

“Shut up,” Scorun replied. 

 

“Listen up, maggots!” Nayn burst into the room, Kageto the reptile alien and Angeor behind her. She had a few gold teeth replacing those she’d lost, and she glared in the direction of the saiyans before walking to the front of the cafeteria and standing on a table, “It’ll take us two months to reach headquarters, and once we get there, you and the other recruits will fight in a tournament to decide which squads you’ll join. The bottom tier member of each squad is seeded to fight the winners - there are seven of you and seven squads. We’ll hold our own tournament in one month to decide which squad’s tourney each of you will participate in - that’ll give you all enough time to heal before the  _ real _ fights.”

 

“She means death matches,” Kageto said, picking at a loose scales, “The squad tourneys are all to the death - Guringa likes the number seven, and she only wants the strongest out of you - so, seven members on seven squads. If you get stronger than that, you can become one of her seven top agents - the three of us are just part of a recruiter squad, so don’t think being able to beat us means anything, either. Oh, and not killing your opponent will just get you killed in their place, so bother showing mercy.”

 

“B-but don’t k-k-kill yourselves here,” Angeor added, wringing his hands, “If any of you dies, w-we have to find another recruit in time for the tournament.”

 

“And we  _ don’t _ want that - understand?” Nayn said, glaring at them all. 

 

The recruits stared at the trio in front of them for a few moments, then all went back to eating and talking amongst themselves.

 

The feline-esque alien growled, “Hey! I’m talking to you!”

 

“So?” the wolfwoman alien asked, “We heard you - not like any of us would have joined up if we had another choice…”

 

“I had many choices,” Desrae said, smiling benignly, “But this is looking to be the most fun.”

 

The catman raised his hand, “Uh, I’m an assassin, this whole killing people thing doesn’t really phase me.”

 

Kageto snorted and started walking out, and Angeor was quick to follow. 

 

“By the way, Nayn~” Desrae sing-songed, “Nice  _ teeth _ .”

 

Nayn growled again, then huffed and followed after her comrades. 

 

“A month, hm?” Iza hummed thoughtfully, “Well, at the pace you two are going, you’ll probably be fine… I might not be so fortunate, though…”

 

“Then quit,” Scorun said. 

 

Morgraine arched a brow, but only watched. 

 

The scaled alien gurgled, “I don’t think that is an option, though I may let myself slip to the bottom.”

 

“Look at that conniving fish,” Desrae said, looking over at the saiyans and Iza, “Figuring out our competition.”

 

“Please, that softie?” the wolfwoman scoffed, “He’s probably trying to help them. You know why he got outcast, right?”

 

Blotri jiggled, “Sanaak are a monastic isolationist race - while they study powerful martial combat, Iza was cast out for wanting to know more about other races.”

 

“They’re also elitist pricks,” the catman added. 

 

“Well, it hardly matters,” Desrae said, “I can already tell what the order will be.”

 

“Oh?” the wolfwoman asked with a grin.

 

The feathered alien nodded, “Me, Iza, Gur, Morgraine - the big saiyan, you, the little one, then Boltri. It’ll hardly be a competition at all.”

 

Gur - the catman - chuckled, “If you say so.”

 

At the further table, Morgraine regarded the other fighters with a strange kind of casual intensity. 

 

“Desrae is not doubt declaring himself the winner already,” Iza said, “And I’ll admit, he has a good shot at it, too.”

 

“He said you’d come in second,” the older saiyan said, returning to his food. 

 

“Did he?” the scaled alien gurgled, “I’m flattered.”

 

“You’re full of shit,” Scorun said. 

 

Iza gurgled some more, “Maybe.”

 

Morgraine looked between the two for a moment, then shrugged, “Doesn’t matter anyways.”

 

“I wouldn’t say that,” the scaled man said, “If you place too high, the real competition will likely overwhelm and kill you. It may even be advantageous to place below your real strength - though none of us know what the strength of our competition will actually be.”

 

“That’s why it doesn’t matter,” the albino saiyan replied. 

 

Iza’s clear eyelids blinked slowly, then he tilted his head, “Actually, that’s true. For all we know, we’re the weakest recruits coming in, and none of this competition will matter - or the strongest.”

 

Morgraine snorted, but had nothing more to add to the conversation. 

 

Scorun was similarly silent, shortly excusing himself to leave without acknowledging the other two. 

 

“Would you like to spar?” the scaled alien asked the remaining saiyan, “It’s not like we’ll be competition for the death matches, and I hate to see younglings like you unprepared.”

  
The albino saiyan gave Iza a cursory glance, “Sure.”


	4. Placements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I made some changes - I decided to break this story up into two "seasons", more or less - and I had to add another chapter when this one started running long, so I figured that might help me manage this story more logically... I'm calling the series "Dragon Ball X" since it's my Xenoverse characters, even though that won't be until "season" 3 more or less. Anyways, hope y'all enjoy my flailings at writing DBZ-like fight scenes, ha ha...
> 
> (For reference, I try to keep chapters between 7-10 pages.)

Kageto, Nayn, and Angeor walked down the halls of their ship, headed towards the lowest level. The reptile alien looked bored, the feline determined, and the orange alien nervous. 

 

“Are you sure about making the line-up yourself?” Kageto asked, “Wouldn’t it be easier to just have them draw lots?”

 

“That takes too long, and the losers still have to fight after that,” Nayn replied. 

 

“I’m surprised you seeded the little one,” the reptile added, “Aren’t you still mad about your face?”

 

“Ugh, even I’m not that petty,” the feline replied, “Angeor, you already took them to the tournament room, right?”

 

“Y-yes, they’re waiting for us to arrive,” the orange alien replied. 

 

“How do you think it’ll turn out, Kageto?” Nayn asked. 

 

The reptile yawned, “As long as one of them makes it into a squad, I don’t care.”

 

“What? Not gunning for my position?” the female alien grinned. 

 

“If I wanted your job I’d just kill you myself,” Kageto replied, “I have no interest in Guringa breathing down my throat.”

 

The trio got into a circular elevator and pressed the button for the bottom floor. 

 

***

 

Scorun glared up at the screen showing the tournament lineup. He was in the number seven slot, which meant he wouldn’t be participating in the first round of fights. 

 

Morgraine patted the younger saiyan on the head, “Just take the advantage.”

 

“It’s because they think I’m just a kid,” the younger saiyan replied, batting the albino saiyan’s hand away. 

 

“You are a child,” Iza said, studying the board nearby. 

 

Scorun rolled his eyes, “You know what I meant.”

 

The scaled alien gurgled, “Yes, and you are quite strong for your age, but it doesn’t not increase your age. Your saiyan youth does not help the matter, either.”

 

“Well, you have nothing to fear, young saiyan!” Desrae said, sauntering up to the three, “When we fight, I won’t hold anything back - I don’t care how old you are, or look.”

 

“You seem awfully confident you’re going to beat me,” Gur said, a few steps behind him. 

 

The feathered alien chuckled, “I’m only being realistic.”

 

Scorun rolled his eyes and ignored them.

 

Nayn, Kageto, and Angeor entered at that time, drawing the attention of the recruits. The trio stood before a circular ring, with Nayn in the middle. Once again, she acted as spokeswoman for the group. 

 

“You already know there won’t be any killing in these matches - but there are a few more rules. No forfeiting, and there will be an energy barrier around the ring which will deliver a nasty shock if you hit it. Our barrier operates at one  _ tenth _ the strength of the barriers Guringa uses for the placement rings, to get you accustomed to avoiding them.  _ Her _ barriers will probably kill you, so keep that in mind. We’re going to hold  _ all _ the tournaments today, since you won’t get a rest for the official matches, either. That’s it, so let’s get started - Dandy and Iza, you’re up!”

 

The wolfwoman snorted as she walked over to the ring, stepping into the middle and crossing her arms. 

 

Iza was quick to follow, and bowed to his opponent. 

 

Angeor scuttled over to a nearby control panel, and pressed a button to raise the green energy barrier.

 

“Go!” Nayn said. 

 

Dandy charged forward immediately, clawed hands at her side ready to slash forward. Iza stood still with his eyes closed and a smile on his face - until the very last second, where he thrust a hand forward gently tapped his opponent's head. The wolfwoman crashed to the floor  _ hard _ , creating a crack in the ring and knocking her out. 

 

Angeor let down the barrier, and Kageto went in to drag the recruit out.

 

“Short and sweet - just the way I like it,” Nayn said, “Next! Morgraine and Boltri!”

 

Scorun squinted at the scaled alien suspiciously as Iza left the ring and stood nearby. As the other saiyan entered the ring, he walked over to the first winner, “How did you do that? You aren’t that strong.”

 

“Yet you still have yet to best me,” Iza gurgled, “But you are correct. My race has a mastery over a power which we refer to as ‘inner light’ - when we are finished with this tournament, I would be pleased to show you how to utilize it yourself.”

 

The younger saiyan made a dismissive noise, turning his attention to the ring. 

 

The scaled alien gurgled again, watching as well. 

 

“Go!” Nayn called. 

 

Morgraine stepped forward and kicked the blob-like alien into the barrier. 

 

Boltri made a screeching noise as it hit and arcs of energy sparked away from it, then landed in a passed out pancake. 

 

The albino saiyan scratched the back of his head with a shrug. 

 

Nayn sighed, running a hand down her face, “This is a little much…”

 

“I told you not to take the blob,” Kageto replied, moving to drag Boltri off as the barrier was raised again, “But we had to take  _ someone _ you said…”

 

“It’s supposed to be immune to physical attacks…” Nayn sighed again, “Gurujhal and Desrae! Try not to be fucking disappointments!”

 

“Let’s see if you can deliver on your promises,” Gurujhal said, stepping up to the ring. 

 

Desrae chuckled, waving a hand, “Oh, I  _ always _ deliver.”

 

As the contestants switched out, Morgraine went back to standing next to his fellow saiyan. 

 

Iza blinked his clear eyelids at him, “Would you be interested in learning how to use your ‘inner light’, as I do?”

 

The albino saiyan scratched at his chin, glancing over at the still unconscious Dandy, “Sure.”

 

“Excellent! That’s two students,” the scaled alien smiled. 

 

“I didn’t say I wanted to learn,” Scorun interjected. 

 

“You also did not say you did not want to learn,” Iza replied. 

 

Morgraine snorted, patting the younger saiyan on the head.

 

“Go!” Nayn said, drawing their attention back to the ring. 

 

“These two,” Iza said, “Both know how to use inner light already.”

 

At first, neither opponent moved. Both seemed to be regarding the other casually - Gurujhal had his arms behind his head, while Desrae tapped his cheek with a taloned finger. The catman’s ears flicked back and forth, while the feathered alien’s plumage resettled. 

 

Gurujhal leapt forward suddenly, seeming to disappear between his step off and appearing in front of Desrae with claws ready. The feathered alien was already in the air by the time the catman reached him, and grabbed his opponent’s arm with a taloned foot as he landed. It dragged Gurujhal to the ground, but the catman reacted quickly by crouching and rolling up to delivery a double leg kick to Desrae’s chest. 

 

“Yeah! This is what I’m talking about!” Nayn nodded her head with a grin. 

 

Kageto rolled his eyes, “You literally recruited two assassins, what did you expect…”

 

The feathered alien was pushed back, but he didn’t release his grip on Gurujhal. Desrae held out a hand and sent a blast of purple energy at his opponent, which the catman avoided by twisting at the last moment. Gurujhal spun to lock the feathered alien’s leg in a lock, and brought his free hand down in a strike - red energy glowing around his hand. Desrae flapped his wings to pick them both off the ground and swung his opponent into the barrier - causing them both to get hit by the energy.

 

Iza nodded along the sidelines, “Good, but this is very rudimentary usage.”

 

“It is?” Scorun arched a brow. 

 

The scaled alien nodded, “Being able to manifest inner light externally is the very basics of its usage - a tool to help children recognize how it ebbs and flows through visuals. Crude, but effective.”

 

Desrae had to release his grip to get away, and his opponent did the same. The feathered alien jumped to one side of the ring, while Gurujhal rolled to the other. As soon as the catman was on his feet, he fired several energy blasts at the ground, raising dust in the air. Desrae flapped his wings to clear it, but became distracted as his opponent used the dust to hide his steps as he continued to move in a way that made him disappear in the middle. Gurujhal landed a few hits before Desrae grabbed the catman’s arm and threw him into the barrier again. Instead of freezing, Gurujhal fought through the pain to jump off the barrier and aimed to barrel into his opponent again. The feathered alien was ready for him, however, and jumped into the air and flipped, bringing a kick down on the catman’s head. 

 

There was an audible crack as Gurujhal’s head hit the ring, and the catman was out cold. 

 

Desrae brushed the dust off his wings, humming to himself. 

 

Nayn clapped, “Now that was a fight! Clear the ring, onto the next match! Iza vs Morgraine!”

 

Angeor lowered the barrier, and as before, Kageto dragged the unconscious recruit from the ring. 

 

Desrae chuckled as Morgraine and Iza passed him, “I’ll see you in the final match, Iza.”

 

“Perhaps,” the scaled alien replied, gurgling. 

 

The feathered alien waved at the younger saiyan as he took a spot near the ring to watch. 

 

Scorun ignored him, waiting for the match to begin. 

 

Angeor rose the barrier again, and Nayn marked the start of the match. 

 

Iza bowed with a smile. 

 

Morgraine copied the courtesy, then moved into a fighting stance by crouching and bringing his arms close to his sides. He watched Iza carefully, considering. 

 

The scaled alien stood upright, with a fist against his open hand in front of his chest. He tilted his head, waiting. 

 

The albino saiyan charged forward, but twisted at the last second to slide close to the ground and aim a strike at Iza’s side. The scaled alien took a half-step back to avoid it, and moved his arm to hit Morgraine on the head with his elbow. The saiyan almost hit the ground, throwing his arms down to barely catch himself. However, Iza had plenty of time to aim a chop at his opponent’s neck, which rendered the saiyan unconscious. 

 

“Well…” Nayn scratched at her temple, “I guess that really is just a difference in power…”

 

Kageto rolled his eyes, going to retrieve the passed out saiyan as the barrier was let down.

 

“Our turn, little saiyan~!” Desrae sing-songed, stepping into the ring. 

 

Scorun rolled his eyes, but was soon to enter the ring himself. 

 

Iza gave the young saiyan a thumbs up as he passed, which was ignored. 

 

Desrae and Scorun squared off as the barrier was raised. The feathered alien was relaxed as usual, but the young saiyan glared as he changed his stance - one leg back, his arms raised in front of him to block. This seemed to amuse the older fighter, but he refrained from commenting. 

 

“Go!” Nayn called, “At least we’re moving right along.”

 

Kageto nodded in agreement for once, crossing his arms nearby. 

 

Desrae charged without warning, a taloned hand extended in front of him. Scorun didn’t move until the last moment, ducking under his opponent’s reach and starting to aim a punch - before rolling back at the last second, avoiding being smacked by one of Desrae’s wings. 

 

“Those must be the famous saiyan battle instincts I’ve heard about,” the feathered alien said, using his wing to hide the way his leg raised for a kick, “I could have ended it right there.”

 

“Shut up and-” Scorun was cut off as Desrae kicked him into the barrier. The young saiyan grit his teeth at the pain - but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, and he landed on his feet and jumped to the side to avoid a second kick. 

 

The feathered alien smiled, “Don’t get distracted now~!”

 

Scorun had no way to reply as he ducked and weaved out of the way of various punches and kicks - though most hit him at least in glancing. The young saiyan knew his opponent was toying with him - he was nowhere near the feathered alien’s skill level. He had no time to strategize, either - between dodging and avoiding the barrier, his young mind could only handle so much during the fight. 

 

Finally, Desrae got tired of the game, and incapacitated his opponent with a hard punch to the gut. 

 

“No surprise there…” Kageto said, entering the ring to carry the lighter recruit out. 

 

Desrae crossed his arms behind his head and smiled, “Ready, Iza?”

 

The scaled alien stepped into the ring, “I suppose experience would lead to this outcome.”

 

“I just hope you put up more of a fight than your little student did,” the feathered alien replied. 

 

Iza put his fist against his head and bowed. 

 

Desrae shook his head, “That silly custom won’t get you anywhere.”

 

“It is a courtesy and more, though I doubt I could explain it in a way you would appreciate.”

 

“This should be good,” Nayn said as the barrier rose, “Go!”

 

***

 

Scorun woke up surprised to find he didn’t feel sore from his fight. 

 

Iza smiled down at him, “Ah, welcome back.”

 

As the young saiyan sat up, he saw that Morgraine was conscious as well, “Who won?”

 

“I did, though I fear it was far less exciting than our hosts had hoped,” the scaled alien replied, moving to Gurujhal and putting his hand above the catman. They glowed briefly, and then the recruit was also awake. 

 

Desrae sighed, leaning against a wall and straightening his feathers, “One hit - I suppose I’ll just have to settle for second place.”

 

“Unless I beat you this time,” Gurujhal replied, standing and stretching. 

 

“Not a chance, my feline friend,” the feathered alien replied. 

 

“Alright, everyone’s awake, so break time is over - Dandy and Morgraine, you’re up!” Nayn ordered. 

 

As the two fighters entered the ring, Scorun walked up to Iza, “How does using this inner light thing work?”

 

The scaled alien gurgled, “I suppose there is no harm in beginning to teach you now - this stance I use is a meditative stance for my people; and meditation is the first step towards using inner light.”

 

The young saiyan copied Iza’s battle stance, standing straight and putting a fist against his open palm. 

 

His teacher nodded, also using the stance, “Exactly - now, close your eyes.”

 

In the ring, Morgraine scratched at his jaw, regarding the wolfwoman with consideration. 

 

Dandy grinned and punched a hand into her palm, “Let’s go, small fry.”

 

The albino saiyan smirked, but didn’t reply as the barrier went up. 

 

“Go!” Nayn called out. 

 

Both opponents charged, meeting in the middle and grabbing each other’s hands in a stalemate, pushing against each other. 

 

On the sidelines, Iza continued his lesson, “Once you have learned how to use inner light, returning to this pose during a fight will help you focus. Now, to find your inner light, you must block out the world around you - ignore all that you hear and focus on your breathing. Let it fall into a pattern - ebbing and flowing continuously like an ocean. In… out… in… out…”

 

Desrae snorted at the pair, keeping one eye on the fight in front of him. 

 

Morgraine reared back and pulled his opponent into a heabutt, causing Dandy to growl and slash at him. The albino saiyan ducked under it and punched the wolfwoman in the side, which she returned by punching him in the head. Neither moved away - the pair just started exchanging punches in the middle of the ring. 

 

“That’s going to go on for a while,” Gurujhal commented, leaning against the wall next to the feathered alien. He spotted Scorun and Iza and chuckled, “Look out, Des - I think the little one really wants to shut you up.”

 

“I’m sure he does - but a rushed lesson in energy control isn’t going to change things,” Desrae replied. 

 

“Now,” Iza said, “Picture a beacon of light within yourself, in the pit of your stomach, and reach out to it. This may take some time - but try to relax without getting frustrated.”

 

Scorun did as the scaled alien bid him, but found that he could not picture a beacon like Iza described - in his mind’s eye, the light was more akin to a flame. After a few failed attempts at picturing a beacon, the young saiyan reached out to the flame instead. 

 

“Ah, my mistake - you have found it quickly,” the scaled alien said. 

 

In the ring, Morgraine and Dandy were still exchanging blows, but it was clear that the wolfwoman was flagging. Her breathing was labored and her punches slowed, while Morgraine grinned - if anything, his blows were landing faster and harder - until he landed an uppercut to Dandy’s jaw. The wolfwoman backed up, then fell backwards, too exhausted to continue. 

 

“How can he even tell…?” Desrae asked idly, watching the impromptu lesson. 

 

“Boltri and Gurujhal, you’re next!” Nayn called out. 

 

The catman rolled his eyes, “See you in the ring.”

 

The feathered alien nodded with a dismissive wave. 

 

“Imagine the light filling your body - flowing through your veins with cooling energy,” Iza continued. 

 

Scorun struggled to follow instructions, frowning. FInally, he sighed and opened his eyes, “It isn’t cool.”

 

The scaled alien blinked his eyelids at the saiyan, “Ah. Perhaps it is different for your race - did you feel anything?”

 

“Heat,” the young saiyan replied. 

 

Morgraine stood nearby, crossing his arms and watching in curiosity.

 

In the ring, Gurujhal made quick work of Boltri with the same method Morgraine had used previously. 

 

“Maybe we should just put the blob at the bottom and call it a day…” Nayn said, shaking her head. 

 

Kageto shrugged, “Your call,  _ boss _ .”

 

“Then use the heat instead,” Iza replied, “For now, focus on making the light part of your body and movements - we’ll discuss more after your fight. In the meantime, Morgraine…”

 

“Next! Desrae and Scorun!” Nayn called, “Again…”

 

“You didn’t want to draw lots again and again…” Kageto reminded her. 

 

The feline alien growled, “Yeah, yeah…”

 

The feathered alien and the young saiyan entered the ring again. Hesitating for a moment, Scorun took up the meditation pose he’d just learned.

 

His opponent snorted, “That won’t do you much good without the years of experience that go with it, you know.”

 

The young saiyan opened his mouth, then decided against replying. 

 

On the sidelines, Iza caught Morgraine up to speed while reviving the unconscious recruits for the next round.  

 

Desrae glanced over as the barrier rose, then smiled at his opponent. Something felt off to the feathered alien, but he assured himself that it was impossible to make a significant improvement from one fight and a brief lesson in energy control. 

 

Meanwhile, Scorun focused on feeling the inner light Iza had talked about spreading throughout his body - it made him feel warm, and he fought the urge to dismiss the unfamiliar sensation. 

 

“Go!” Nayn called. 

 

Desrae charged forward, flipping at the last moment to drop kick his opponent. Scorun reached up and grabbed the fathered alien’s leg, then slammed him into the ground. The young saiyan felt… strangely disconnected. It was as if he was just a step out of sync with the world around him - which translated to a significant increase in speed and strength to his opponent. Desrae pushed off the ground and fired a few energy blasts to get airborne. He looked down at his opponent with a blank expression, considering. 

 

Scorun took the reprieve to control his breathing - the energy felt like it was growing hotter, and he struggled to get a handle on it. 

 

Iza looked over at the ring, “I am almost grateful you are not finding this lesson quite as easy as Scorun did. There is a danger to taking on too much too fast, after all.”

 

Morgraine peeked an eye open, but didn’t have the experience to sense what his teacher did. 

 

Desrae dived at his opponent, taloned feet first. Scorun stilled, and for a moment, he saw a way to win - he jumped up to meet his opponent, which startled the feathered alien into pulling his talons out of the way and gaining some altitude back. The young saiyan tried to form an energy blast in his fist, and punched up at his opponent - only to lose the energy partway through. Desrae took advantage of this to knock Scorun back down, and followed this up with energy blasts as his opponent started to rise from the ground. It was enough to win the feathered alien the match, but when he landed, Desrae’s expression was still unreadable. 

 

Nayn scratched her head, “I feel like I missed something…”

 

Kageto entered the ring as the barrier fell, and shrugged, “You miss a lot of things, so probably.”

 

The feline alien huffed, but didn’t engage.

 

“It’s not like you to be distracted,” Gurujhal said, waltzing into the ring.

 

Desrae immediately smiled and turned to his opponent, “And how would you know what I’m like?”

 

The catman shrugged, “Suppose I don’t, but I think I’m going to win this match.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

Gurujhal played with one of his earrings, “Because if you lose, you can fight the little one again.”

 

Desrae hummed noncommittally, but glanced over to where Iza was reviving the young saiyan. 

 

“You jumped ahead by trying to form an energy blast,” the scaled alien said, “I had not counted on the volatile nature of saiyan energy. While you wait for your next match, I would recommend meditating to exercise control - and waiting until you have mastered that before trying something new.”

 

“Go!” Nayn called. 

 

Gurujhal jumped forward with his skip-step, and landed a kick to his opponent’s head which knocked Desrae into the barrier. The catman tutted, “I know you’re letting me win, but you can at least pretend you aren’t.”

 

The feathered alien chuckled, picking himself up, “I’m just tired from all the previous fights and you got in a lucky shot.”

 

“Sure,” his opponent said, and jumped forward again. 

 

The opponents traded a few more blows before Gurujhal emerged as the winner, and the ring was cleared for the next match. 

 

The catman wandered over to the saiyans, both of whom were practicing their meditation. He seized the younger saiyan up, then shook his head, “You better be careful, little one - Des isn’t a good person to catch the attention of.”

 

Scorun didn’t appear to hear the warning.

 

“Morgraine and Dandy! You’re up again!” Nayn called. 

 

The albino saiyan and the wolfwoman entered the ring again. 

 

The canine grinned, “I won’t let you win again, runt!”

 

Morgraine grinned in response. 

 

“Go!” Nayn called. 

 

The albino saiyan jumped forward and landed a punch to the wolfwoman’s gut with enough force that energy seemed to shoot out of her back. Dandy gasped and shook with the ffort of standing upright. Morgraine stepped back, and his opponent collapsed. 

 

The albino saiyan open a closed his fist, flexing to test the way his new strength was working. 

 

“That was faster than last time…” Kageto said, entering the ring to move the incapacitated wolfwoman. 

 

Meanwhile, Iza revived Desrae. The scaled alien tilted his head, “You’re up.”

 

“Obviously,” the feathered alien said, standing and stretching, “Not that this match matters…”

 

“Desrae and Boltri!” Nayn called out. 

 

As expected, the match was over almost as soon as it had began, and the ring was cleared for the next fight. 

 

“Desrae and Morgraine…” Nayn sighed, shaking her head at the puddle of blob alien. 

 

The albino saiyan entered the ring with a toothy smirk.

 

“Do you think you’ll be able to beat me?” Desrae asked, a small, amused smile on his own face.

 

Morgraine shrugged, and jerked his head back, “D’ya think he can?” 

 

The feathered alien looked beyond his opponent, where the younger saiyan was still focused on meditating. He said nothing, but pursed his lips in thought. 

 

The albino saiyan chuckled, getting into a battle stance. 

 

“Go!” Nayn called. 

 

Desrae moved first, taking to the air. Morgraine followed with a mighty leap, and the feathered alien ducked under him, grabbing one of his opponent’s legs with a talon and swinging him forward into the barrier. The saiyan grit his teeth against the pain, but tucked himself into a ball and pushed off the barrier instead of falling to the ground. He barreled into a surprised Desrae, and both fighters dropped towards the ground. The feather alien fired off close range energy bursts while rearranging them - he dug his talons into the albino saiyan’s legs, and pushed so that Morgraine hit the ring first. 

 

The feathered alien pushed up, back to the air, avoiding the worst of the impact. The saiyan groaned, sitting up. The cuts on his thighs were bleeding well, and he was already feeling light headed. He looked up at his opponent, just in time to raise hi arms against a series of energy bursts. When they stopped, Morgraine put his arms down just in time for Desrae to land a punch to his face - the impact of his head with the ground knocked him out cold. 

 

Kageto whistled, “Little more vicious than the last matches…”

 

Nayn nodded in agreement, scratching behind an ear. 

 

The reptilian recruiter pulled the unconscious saiyan out of the ring once the barrier dropped, and Iza was quick to revive Morgraine and heal the worst of his cuts so that he could continue. 

 

The feline recruiter watched the fighter still in the ring carefully for a few minutes before calling out, “Scorun! You’re up!”

 

“Remember not to push too far,” Iza said to the young saiyan. When he didn’t get a response, his eyelids blinked, and he looked over, “Scorun?”

 

The young saiyan didn’t seem to have heard the scaled alien, still in his meditative state. 

 

Morgraine snorted as he stood and walked over to pat his friend on the head, “You’re next.”

 

That seemed to bring Scorun back. He scowled at the older saiyan, then sighed as he went into the ring where Desrae was waiting. 

 

_ I may have chosen students poorly, _ Iza thought, observing the intensity in the young saiyan,  _ They may be beyond my abilities. _

 

The feathered alien smiled at his opponent, “You know, I’m actually excited for this fight.”

 

Scorun rolled his eyes, “You don’t say.”

 

“I didn’t expect you to improve so much the first time,” Desrae said, getting into a battle stance, “You might even beat me.”  

 

“We’ll see,” the young saiyan replied. 


End file.
